


Choking On His Own Words

by ChaiYan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Gay Pride, Humor, M/M, Sexual Humor, sexual innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:28:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24598285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaiYan/pseuds/ChaiYan
Summary: Written for the Harry Potter Pride Month 2020Week One Prompt: Coming OutOliver comes out to Percy, who doesn't react at all in the way Oliver expected him to...
Relationships: Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood
Comments: 5
Kudos: 171





	Choking On His Own Words

**Author's Note:**

  * For [girlwithacrown](https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlwithacrown/gifts).



> Did you know Percy has horn-rimmed glasses? I didn’t.

Percy usually ate dinner without talking to anyone. There weren't many people to talk to anyway, seeing as he and Oliver were the only Gryffindor boys in their year. Most of the time, Oliver would talk to him, and Percy would silently listen. They were best friends in the closest definition: Percy trailed after Oliver nearly all the time, Oliver would sit with Percy in the library or in their empty dorm for hours, watching the other study, or trying to make small talk whilst he was writing a Potions or Charms essay. Therefore, whilst anyone did not question why, it was rather unusual to see Percy sitting with his brothers and without Oliver. However, Oliver burst through the doors as the Prefect took a sip of juice, tucking into a small plate of chicken and vegetables, eating bird-like, as always. Oliver’s face was pale, he was breathing heavily, and his fists were balled up, creating clouds of redness against his tanned skin, littered also by half-crescent nail marks. Unaware of his presence through the storm of chatter by the other students, Percy only looked up to greet him with a small smile once Oliver slid down opposite him.

“Oh, hello. I was beginning to worry that you were not going to show up after all.” Percy blinked owlishly behind his horn-rimmed glasses, slicing at a piece of asparagus.

“Yeah, I can’t miss out on dinner for anything. Too much to do, too little time to do it all.” Oliver’s words flowed out like a gushing river, slapping Percy in the face, who was not completely understanding of the way he was talking “Well, looks like I am here now and I am hungry and I want to talk to you and I want to eat and I want to go back to the dorm and I want to drink a million pints of this - this - pumpkin juice!” He spurted out, hardly leaving any room to breathe. 

Percy’s eyes widened, a flash of concern striking his face “Oliver, are you okay?” He asked slowly.

“Me? Wait, me?” Oliver pointed to himself, eyebrows furrowing “Oh, I am fine. I have never been better, thanks for asking.” His smile wavered as he instantly swallowed some saliva.

“Oliver… what is wrong?” Percy’s stare hardened.

Oliver gritted his teeth “Perce…” He breathed, looking at the plate in front of him “I can trust you right?”

“Of course. You’re my best friend.” Oliver sucked in breath suddenly, looking up at him, his hand beginning to shake a little as he reached for a bread roll.

“Well… you see…” Oliver’s voice dropped, mumbling something.

Percy blinked, leaning forwards “Oliver, I can’t hear…”

“Percy, we have been friends… best friends… for a very long time now. I think it is only… fair to you if I tell you this because I want you to know and I want to have the balls to tell you that… I like you.” Oliver breathed, setting down the bread roll on his plate.

Percy’s mouth twitched as he paused “I like… you too? We are friends, of course.”

“Not ‘like’... as in… friendly ‘like’...” Oliver scrunched up his palms again “I like you… romantically… and I have felt like this for years, Percy… but I didn’t know how to tell you… and although I knew it could destroy our friendship… I wanted to have the courage to tell you and I was scared of what you could … and would… say.” He sniffed. “I told myself tonight that I would just blurt it out and stop being so scared.”

“Oliver…” Percy’s mouth was dropping slowly, his mind racing, but at the same time, all the words vanished from his memory bank.

“So, I guess... what I am saying is that... I am gay,” Percy’s stony eyes widened at this, clamping his dropped jaw in by feeding himself another chicken wing. He placed the small bone into his mouth, tongue and teeth slithering over it as he continued to watch Oliver. “Oh, and Percy?” Percy made a small curious noise. “I want you to be my boyfriend.” As soon as those words had dropped off his tongue, Percy spluttered, his cheeks scarlet and eyes wide open and scared. “It’s okay, I know you’re going to be surprised bu--”

“Uh, Oliver?” Hermione cut in, rising a little to place her hand on the table in front of Percy. Tears were dribbling out of his eyes as he watched her “Percy, are you okay?... Oh MERLIN, he’s choking!”

“That’s not the only bone he’ll be choking on- Ow, Ron!” George rubbed his arm.

“Now’s not the time, George.” Ron huffed, getting up quickly and grabbing a jug, pouring his brother’s glass full to the brim with pumpkin juice. “Oh, no… Percy, drink this…” He gabbled. As he did so, Harry instantly started holding his shoulder with one tender hand and began to slap his back with a firm palm, hoping to dislodge the bone from inside Percy’s throat. With paling, shaking hands, Percy grasped the cup, his body unable to take a drink as he lurched forwards, propelled by Harry’s slaps. His whole face had morphed from the flood of scarlet to a near purple colour, tears dripping down his cheeks in lilac trails as a couple beads of sweat had sprung on his hairline, glistening under the dinner candles. 

“Guys, nothing is working!” Harry exclaimed as more Gryffindors, including the twins who were snorting to themselves with laughter behind cupped hands, began to circle them. One by one, students from other tables had taken notice at the cluster of drama around the middle of the Gryffindor table. Even a couple of the Professors at their table had spotted something happening out of the corner of their eyes. 

“He can’t drink it!” Penelope had come rushing over from the Ravenclaw table, as Percy’s best friend “It won’t wash the bone down - It’s too big for his throat.”

“That’s what she said!” Fred snickered, high-fiving George, but his hand dropped as soon as he saw Alicia Johnson give him an un-amused glare from his side.

“Wh-What are we supposed to do?” Penelope asked, pressing her hand to Percy’s other shoulder, gritting her teeth in worry as Harry landed another slap on his back again.

An idea pinged itself into Hermione’s head “We n-need to try and do a Heimlich Maneuver... It is the only thing we can do.”

“A what?” Many of the students chorused around her.

“For Merlin’s sake, I cannot believe that Hogwarts doesn’t teach you basic things like this… what good is a wizard education in the real world?” Hermione muttered to herself, her eyes flashing darkly “It’s okay - I know how to do one - but I cannot lift a seventeen year old boy.”

“F-Fine, I’ll do it!” Wood snapped, having been alarmingly quiet this whole time. He sped down the length of the Gryffindor table, much to the strange glances of the other students, barging his way through the forming crowd. Even Professor McGonagall had risen from the Professor’s table to come and inspect what was going on, but before she could get a word in edgeways, Hermione had cut in to talk again.

“Okay, first we need to get him out from the bench.” She babbled, biting her tongue sharply at how dark Percy’s face had become. Standing up, the twins and Ron shoved themselves forwards to pull the bench out of the way, as Oliver wrapped his arms tightly under Percy’s arms and round his front, dragging him out swiftly. “Then, Oliver, we need you to wrap your arms around Percy’s stomach, with your palms facing his stomach and put one on top of the other--”

“Miss Granger, what on earth are you trying to do?” Professor McGonagall interrupted, her hands on her hips as she gazed on Oliver doing that. 

“With all respect, Professor. I am trying to stop him from dying!” Hermione exclaimed, rubbing Percy’s back as he was still shaking, clutching at his throat and trying to lurch himself forwards to get the bone free. “I learnt it in Muggle school -”

“Hermione! What now?” Oliver yelled, trying to get her attention.

“Press his back close to your chest and bend him over slightly.” She said hurriedly, nodding as he did so “Okay, apply pressure. You have to thrust him upwards and forwards using your abdomen.” Oliver nodded, thrusting Percy’s chest into his so the Weasley boy jolted upwards “Yes, that’s right! Keep doing that.” As he did so, Oliver had not noticed that aside from a small undertone of hushed chatter, everyone else had practically gone silent. He breathed deeply as he kept thrusting Percy back into his stomach. To his delight, Percy was flinching on his own accord, a sign that air was beginning to make its way back into his windpipe, as shown by the slight reduction of purple on his cheeks.

“Keep going, it's working!” Ron assured him, gripping the table with one hand.

After a couple more thrusts, the choking sounds from Percy’s throat were becoming louder and breathier, but Oliver kept going strongly. Soon enough, a particularly vibrant sound signalled as a bone flung itself from within Percy’s throat, spinning through the air as everyone watched in shock… before the bone smashed into Neville Longbottom’s forehead. The impact made him flinch as the bone fell onto the floor with a ping! 

Rubbing his head where the pale skin had begun to blush, he sighed “Why is it always me?”  


Oliver tightened his grip around Percy’s waist as he felt the other’s weight collapse into his own, knees buckling, and his head flung backwards against the crook of Oliver’s neck, feeling bewildered. Turning, he opened his arms, allowing Percy to fall against the bench as a relieved rumble of voices began to praise him, praise Hermione, and ask Percy if he was alright. To all the questions, Percy nodded in exhaustion, allowing an arm to stick out and grab the cup of juice. The cool liquid quenched his breathlessness, allowing the colour to fade from his cheeks and settle his racing heart. He rolled his lips, tasting the sweetness with a big smile. Percy’s eyes settled on Oliver who, as the crowd began to disperse, stayed there in front of him.

“Are you alright now?” Oliver asked in a hushed voice, sliding onto the bench besides him.

Percy nodded, setting the glass down on the table “I am just fine now…” He looked at Hermione and the others who were looking at him with sympathetic smiles, even the twins were showing a little ounce of relief “Thank you everyone. Thank you so much. I-I…” He waved his hand dismissively “You all can have a hundred points each, whatever the teachers say.” Their worried glances sprouted into joyful beams, causing a canon of gracious “thank-yous”. 

He was unaware that Professor McGonagall was still lingering as people had begun to return to their seats “Mr Weasley, are you okay? Do you want to go and visit Madame Pomfrey in the medical wing?” She asked, rubbing his shoulder gently.

“Oh no, Professor. I am quite alright now. I would not want to bother Madame Pomfrey for any unnecessary reason.” She nodded with a sigh, turning on her heel and wandering back up to her own table, exchanging an amused glance with Professor Dumbledore. Percy looked back at Oliver, edging an inch close to him “Thank you, Wood.” A warmness burst from the small smile spreading across his face. Unable to contain his happiness and relief, Oliver pulled Percy into a hug, ignoring the startled squawk from the other boy.

“I’m so glad you’re okay…” Oliver muttered, loosening his grip slightly.

“Me too…” Percy sighed “Oh, Merlin… It’s so humiliating, especially in front of everyone.” He pressed his face into Oliver’s neck softly.

“Who cares? It could have happened to anyone.” Oliver scoffed, pulling away from him suddenly. He looked down, fidgeting slightly, before gazing up at the other with wide, hopeful eyes. “Y-You never did answer my question.” He swallowed at the nervous lump building up in his throat.

Percy bit his lip, reaching forward, and slithering his own hands into Oliver’s, smirking at how easily his thin frames moulded into Oliver’s big hands “I would love to be your boyfriend.” 

“Hey, lovebirds!” A shout sliced into their budding romantic moment, forcing them to roll their eyes in each other’s direction and turn to face the perpetrator, Fred.  


“Yes?”

“I just wanted to say-” Fred snorted to George, who had the wide grin of a Cheshire Cat “I really admired the way that you did that - that - Hemlock thing…”

“Lots of nice -” George smirked, jolting his hips forward “thrusting into our older brother from you, Oliver Wood.”

“Maybe that’s why-” Fred started.

“You volunteered to do it in the first place?” George finished. People around them listening groaned loudly. Percy slapped a palm onto his forehead, his cheeks beginning to go scarlet with embarrassment. Ron scowled at the twins. Oliver let out a quiet, pained laugh. The twins erupted with laughter, Lee Jordan joining in also from opposite them. 

“You’re both perverts.” Oliver grabbed Percy’s hand with a smile “And we are leaving now.” Percy nodded in agreement, the both of them rising from the bench. 

“Oh, guys.” They turned again to the twins.

“What?” Percy sighed, cocking one eyebrow up.

“Oliver had best be expecting an angry letter from Bill soon.” Fred replied, laughs fading to a mischievous grin.

“And Charlie-”

“And a little brother-to-brother’s boyfriend chat-”

“From Fred-” George said.

“And George-” Fred said.

“And Ron-” Ron nodded in response to this mention, eyes swivelling up to meet Oliver’s gaze, frowning deeply.

“And Ginny!” She smirked, folding her arms.

“See you later, brother mine!” George sang as Percy rolled his eyes and tugged Oliver down the hall and through the doors.

“Oh, brother Percival dear!” Fred cackled. “Oh, brother George?” He fluttered his eyelids mockingly.  


“Yes, brother Fred?” 

“Our dear older brother is in LOVE!” They burst into a fresh wave of laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to comment if you liked this fic! :)


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